By Miguel Gutierrez–
Armed citizens stop mass shooters quicker and more effectively than cops, a first-of-its-kind study revealed.
Looking at FBI data and DOJ data, researchers John Lott and Carlisle Moody examined all mass shootings (four or more kills, also ruling out gang and drug killings) from 2014 to 2022 and compared police effectiveness vs. citizens with concealed carry.
What they found turns conventional wisdom (trust the cops, not civilians) on its head. Armed civilians not only stopped more active shooters, they did so while saving more lives and making fewer mistakes.
However, the study makes clear that civilians are not better than cops. They simply are on the scene before cops; and they are “disguised” – while a would-be killer might avoid a uniformed officer, he’s unguarded against a conceal-carry civilian who blends in to the public.
Also, the difference is simple math: there are not enough cops, but an armed populace is everywhere. As of 2024, 21.5 million Americans (8.2% of the population) hold concealed carry permits.
“Armed civilians are already there,” says Colion Noir, a pro-gun activist, on his YouTube channel. “When an active shooter starts lighting up a mall, you don’t have five minutes to wait for help. The civilian isn’t responding, they’re reacting instantly, because they’re already at the gas station, the grocery store, the church pew or the food court. Police, on the other hand, are trying to get there.”
In the time period studied, armed civilians stopped 179 active shooters, whereas police haled 158.
“Armed civilians are out there and putting in work more often than uniformed officers,” says Noir, whose real name is Collins Iyare Idehen Jr. “They’re not ex-SEALs or off-duty cops. Many of these are just regular citizens who just happened to be armed, aware and present. When it comes to stopping a threat in the moment, armed civilians are doing it. It’s not about being a hero; it’s about being the first person closest to actually make a difference.”
Also, armed civilians reduce deaths by 49% and wounded by 41%, the study shows.
“Police aren’t making things worse, they’re just showing up to worse situations or they’re showing up later,” Noir says. “Armed citizens are there when the first shot is fired, and the result is fewer dead bodies, fewer injuries, less carnage.”
The study also showed the margin for error among civilians was lower than for cops – contrary to the Wild Wild West narrative. Armed civilians shot the wrong person once (though never killed the wrong person), while cops mistook and killed four, during the time period studied.
This does not say that cops or clumsy; it is factor of rushing onto a scene from a distance and trying to assess the danger immediately. An armed civilian watches the scene unfold from the start and can move to the right place, often unperceived by the killer, and fire the right shot.
